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Audible Editor Reviews

Made famous by the Clutter family murder, Olathe, Kansas, once more appeared in the news in 1982 when evangelical Christian David Harmon was bludgeoned to death in his sleep. The suspects, David's wife Melinda and his best friend Mark, were also members of the same religion, and their church protected them from any charges. However, 20 years later, two Olathe police officers reopened the case and discovered clues that pointed to the two former suspects, who were by then living successful lives. Narrator Kevin T. Collins' forceful performance sets the tone of New York Times journalist Marek Fuchs' enthralling account of the amazing police work that ensured that justice for David Harmon would prevail.

Publisher's Summary

In 1959, Olathe, Kansas was made famous by the murder of the Clutter family and Truman Capote's ground-breaking book on the crime, In Cold Blood. But fewer know that Olathe achieved notoriety again in 1982, when a member of Olathe's growing Evangelical Christian population, a gentle man named David Harmon, was bludgeoned to death while sleeping - the force of the blows crushing his face beyond recognition.

Suspicion quickly fell on David's wife, Melinda, and his best friend, Mark, student body president of the local bible college. However, the long arms of the church defended the two and no charges were pressed. The case was declared as dead as David Harmon.

Two decades later, two Olathe police officers revived the cold case making startling revelations that reopened old wounds and chasms within the Olathe community - revelations that rocked not only Olathe, but also the two well-healed towns in which Melinda and Mark resided. David's former wife and friend were now living separate, successful, law-abiding lives. Melinda lived in suburban Ohio, a devoted wife and mother of two. Mark had become a Harvard MBA, a high-paid corporate mover, a family man, and a respected community member in a wealthy suburb of New York City. Some twenty years after the brutal murder, each received the dreaded knock of justice at the door.

A Cold-Blooded Business provides fascinating character studies of Melinda and Mark, killers who seemingly returned to normalcy after one blood-splattered night of violence. A fast-moving true crime narrative, A Cold-Blooded Business is a chilling exploration into the darkest depths of the human psyche.

Would you consider the audio edition of A Cold-Blooded Business to be better than the print version?

A true crime junky I am not. I rarely read true crime. This, however, is a jewel both because of the type of people involved and because it was a cold case. The execution of the crime and apprehension of the culprits were separated by 23 years. It was very well written.I consider all audio editions to be better than the print versions.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The type of people involved and the influence of the Nazarene Church in regard to both execution and apprehension.

What three words best describe Kevin T. Collins’s performance?

Not so good. Perhaps this was his first one. His delivery was such that I began to get the feeling that he had recorded each word separately and then a machine had chosen the words and produced the sentences. Kind of weird. I have been known to ditch books when I just couldn't stand the reader, so he was not nearly that bad. At some point I got used to it and did not notice it. Or he got better.

Any additional comments?

The characters were very well developed (unusual in my experience with true crime). This is not a book I would read twice, but I surely recommend reading it once. It is a seven hour read and I had a seven hour drive. I had two other books I could have listened to, but it fully absorbed me for the entire drive.

This is a surprising well-researched account of the not-so-exciting but gory cold-blooded murder of a husband perpetrated by his Bible-thumping wife and her "chaste" religious lover. (Apparently, kissing, necking, heavy petting, and even oral sex isn't REALLY cheating on one's spouse among the white upper echelon!) Wifey was more ashamed of flirting and inappropriate touching than she was of the prolonged, bloody beating of her husband (suspected weapon: a CROWBAR, purchased by her "Boo" right before the crime!

The interesting thing is that these two squares almost got away with the "perfect crime", but were finally brought down after more than 20 years, thanks to a new Cold Cse Squad! Of course, Wifey initially blamed the crime on the "usual two black men in masks" who just happened to show up in her bedroom in the middle of the night to kill her hubby for no apparent reason. The author does a great job giving an indepth and upbeat account of a really senseless crime. The reader can tell that even the author ain't buying it! Especially since the two "lovers" never spoke again after the crime, each going on with "life after murder" like white people do: Harvard MBA, marrying well, excelling spectacularly in business, making COO, multi-million dollar homes, trips around the world, and every day suburban tasks like taking the kiddies to soccer and piano practice. But being such religious people, each should have known that "God don't like ugly" and their indiscretion was just around the corner, waiting to pounce upon them when the time was right!

Ever since my days of "Nancy Drew", I've always been a big devotée of true crime. However, recently the books in the genre have been weak. Are we readers becoming jaded all of a sudden? This book is a rare find! Totally enjoyable with righteous retribution in the end! This, in spite of all-white juriy and an outrageously expensive legal "dream team", including the flamboyant Kennedy family lawyer Mickey Sherman! Unfortunately, the cards are stacked against the lily white defendants. Nobody will walk but, with a bit of luck and a heap of divine intervine, JUSTICE does often prevail and these cold-blooded killers could have hope of seeing their kids! A hope forever denied the victim, a father of 3 - particularly since one of his eyeballs flew across the bedroom during the savage predatory, lying-in-wait, blitz attack- an unprevoked attack premeditated for weeks! Good stuff!